I bought the reflex malavita and am happy with the purchase. Prior to the purchase I went to the ski shop and played around with the mala / cartel / diode to test their flex. High back on the mala is noticeably stiffer than the cartel but not as stiff as the diode. Tho the malavita is being marketed as a freestyle binding and has the same flex rating as the cartel , I think it's the missing link between the uber stiff diode and freestyle cartel. Makes for a perfect match when paired with my '13 Billy goat as a free riding setup.

I have to second Nivek's opinion. Based upon my understanding the Malavita Reflex is stiffer than the Cartel Reflex. What confuses the question is when comparing the same model in EST; then it becomes Cartel EST is stiffer than Malavita EST. Nevermind comparing the restricted and the limited vs. the base models.

Hope this helps - Nito

Appreciate that, but as I mentioned I went ahead and grabbed a pair of Capos. All in all I am happy with this purchase, though I am still on the fence about their long-term durability. We'll see.

But in general I still think it was worth mentioning on your part so as to help others clear up any confusion they might have as well. So thanks again.

Emailed Burton to get an answer, the sizing is the same as it was 3 years ago. The Malavita only has that wrap around ankle highback on the navy/orange colored binding, the other 3 colors of Malavitas don't have the same highback.

It's quite mind-boggling the amount of variations in their bindings, isn't it? Limited, Restricted, ReFlex, EST @..@ It doesn't help that they mix and match parts from different bindings into other bindings...

When checking them out at the store, and you flex the high backs torsionally (i.e. by twisting them from the top with your hands), there is no doubt that the cartel is the most flexible, then the genesis, then the malavita, then the diode. However, when you try to flex the high backs back and forth (toe to heel side), then it's hard to tell with just your hands and not mounted on a board. This is where "real-life" testing comes to play.

I've found that the 2013 Malavita Reflex (non-EST) is the stiffest and most responsive edge to edge, then the 2013 Genesis EST, then the 2013 Cartel Limited EST. (I just ordered some last-year stock 2013 Cartel Reflex today).

I tried these combos with my boards:
2013 Malavita Reflex on 2012 Rome Artifact Rocker (which is a uber-soft rocker-flat-rocker butter/park board)
A decent combo and rideable, but the binding felt like it was a bit too much for the soft board. This season I'm going to pair the board with Cartel Reflex which I think will be a much better match.

2013 Genesis EST on 2013 Burton Custom Flying V (hybrid camber)
The perfect match! Very comfortable binding, good control for carving, yet flexible enough to be comfortable. It's a good all-arounder. Just like my new board, it's great at everything. I've never broken a high back (always put them down when getting on lift), but I do see what people mean about flimsy 2-part back that could break or separate if you're careless...

2013 Malavita Reflex on 2008 Burton Custom X (very stiff camber board)
Much better match than with my noodle stick. Very responsive and stiff, really works well with the stiff camber bomber board. It's also very comfortable. The ankle strap has a lot of cushioning and the back is very cushioned, so I can bomb runs all day long and it's very comfortable. I used to ride both feet in positive angles (like hard boot carvers), but I started experimenting with different angles last season, and I found that these bindings even with negative angle on the back foot is still easy to control (just had to rotate the high-back to be parallel with the board). Not sure if that's my ability to compensate for different stance or the binding, but the binding gives me confidence on this board. Very happy with this combo. I considered the Burton Diode or Ride El Hefe or used Burton CO2s, but they were very pricey.

(2013 Cartel Limited EST on 2013 Custom Flying V (hybrid camber))
I tried this combo for one day, and the bindings were not the right size (which is why I returned/exchanged them) so I can't say much about them. I think the Genesis felt more responsive if not about equal. It did have very comfortable ankle straps too.

Great Breakdown! I have been out a couple years due to health issues. I have been riding a TRS with Targas and Fargo's. I have been doing some research and am looking to go light. I recently purchased a Custom Flying V and K2 Maysis boots. I still like the stiff Targas but they are heavy compared to new bindings. I was leaning toward Genesis est but sounds like the Malavitas would be more responsive. Have you tried the Malavitas on your Custom Flying V? Appreciate your Feedback. Thanks

So not owning anything burton in years has left me in the dark as to how far they have evolved. I have decided to go with the 162 trick pony, but am still unsure which bindings would maximize the boards potential even after reading through this thread. Niven or someone with experience, can you recommend a binding for me? Thanks. FYI my current pow set up is 163 sick stick with spi, which are stiff. Looking to tone it down a notch. Groomer play set up is attack banana with contact pro. I'd like to slot the burton set up between these two. Cheers.

So not owning anything burton in years has left me in the dark as to how far they have evolved. I have decided to go with the 162 trick pony, but am still unsure which bindings would maximize the boards potential even after reading through this thread. Niven or someone with experience, can you recommend a binding for me? Thanks. FYI my current pow set up is 163 sick stick with spi, which are stiff. Looking to tone it down a notch. Groomer play set up is attack banana with contact pro. I'd like to slot the burton set up between these two. Cheers.

Trick Pony is not going to slot in between the AB and the Sick Stick - it is flexier and more playful than either of those.

Trick Pony is not going to slot in between the AB and the Sick Stick - it is flexier and more playful than either of those.

Playful and flexy is exactly what I'm going for. I should have said something different than the two set ups I have now without it being a park board. My head is so foggy, worked four nights and didn't sleep much this week.

Trick Pony is not going to slot in between the AB and the Sick Stick - it is flexier and more playful than either of those.

Just wondering what you're basing your statement on? Did you ride the trick pony, hand flex it, made an educated guess from the specs, hear feedback from pros or others who have ridden it, all of the above or none of the above?

Just wondering what you're basing your statement on? Did you ride the trick pony, hand flex it, made an educated guess from the specs, hear feedback from pros or others who have ridden it, all of the above or none of the above?

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